Strip feeding device



Dec. 2, 1958 A. w. L/IIETZNER 2,862,596

STRIP FEEDING DEVICE Filed ma 24, 1956 INVENTOR. ALBERT WMETZ/VE/P BY 9%1m A TORNEY United States Patent sum FEEDING DEVICE Albert W.Metzuer,.Dayt0n, Ohio,.assignor to The Standard Register Company,Dayton, Ohio, a corporation of. Ohio ApplicationMay 24, 1956, Serial No.587,013

llClaims. (Cl. 197133) This-invention relates to'strip feedingapparatus, and particularly to the feeding of multi-copy record"material in strip form through a typewriting or like machineincorporatingfriction feed devices for advancing the strip material overthe platen.

The object of the invention is to simplify the construction as .wellas,the means and mode of operation of strip feeding devices, whereby suchdevices may not only be. economically manufactured, but will be moreefficient and satisfactory in use, adaptable to a widevariety ofapplications, and be unlikely to get out'of repair.

A further object of the inventionis to provide for frequent,automaticrealignment of the superposed record copies to obviateaccumulated. error of misalignment as the record strip,materialfadvances through the machine.

A further object of the-invention is to introduce a principleof'positive alignment in apparatusof the ,kind describedthrough areciprocating pin intermittently entering openings .in the strip, toreadjust. misalignedrecord.copies as Welljas interleaved carbonmaterial.

A further object of the invention is toprovideforpositive realignmentofjthestrip elements in conjunction-With a momentary. release, of. the.-appliedfriction feeding pressure.

Still another object of the invention is to effect the described;releasev of .thefriction feeddevices and the. strip realignment under.strip control.

A.v still, further. object. of, the invention is. to. provide means.sensitive .to .signal indicia on. the strip, as for example, photo.electric devices scanning the strip for dotssor: apertures provided;thereon, to .initiate the. de-

scribed friction release. and pin actuating means.

A, further object, ofthe inventionis to prov-idea strip feeding devicepossessing the.advantageous structuralgfeaa tures, the inherentmeritorious characteristics and the.

mode. of operation hereinv mentioned.

With the above. primary; and other incidental-objects inview as:will.more fully appear; in thespecification,

theinvention. intended to: be protected: by Letters Patent consistsofthe features: of construction, the parts and combinations thereof, andthe-mode of operation as hereinafter described or illustrated in theaccompanying.

drawings, or their equivalents.

Referring to. the accompanying drawing, wherein is. shown-OHQbLIfObVlOHSIY-j not necessarily the only form:

of embodiment of the inventiom.

Fig 1 is-a fragmentary view in; side elevation .of a.

platen. and strip feeding. device associated therewith arrangedinatypewriting. machine, inaccordance with the illustrated;embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2. is a detail view: in.cross sectionthrough a control 2,862,596Patented Dec. 2, 1958.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view in side elevation ofthe operating mechanismfor the pin aligning means;

Fig. 5 is a, plan view of a fragment of a record form bearing pinaligning openings and asignalling position in accordance with theoperation of the apparatus of the illustrated embodiment of theinvention; and

Fig. 6 is a wiring diagram.

Like parts are indicated by similar characters of. ref: erencethroughout the several' views.

Referring to the drawings, a typewriting or likezma chine in accordanceWith the illustrated embodiment of the invention comprises a relativelystationary carriage frame 10 providing a support for one end of .ashaft. 11; on which is a platen. 12. Also secured to.the.shaft. 11 'is.a ratchet 13 and engaging the periphery of the ratchet. is a pawl 14pivotally connected at its oneend. to anarm 15,. pivotally mounted onthe shaft 11. The arm 15. is. engaged by a plunger 16 extending from asolenoid 17, the illustrated typewriter being of, the electric kindwherein line spacing operations arekey. controlled. At its end oppositethat connected to the arm 15, the pawl 14 is formed witha fingerengageable with the teeth on the periphery of the ratchet 13. Upon eachactuation of the solenoid. 17, the armUISand pawl 14 move in anoscillatory sense to impart an increment of rotary motion to the ratchet13 and'thereby to the platen 12. A detent member 18, acting on theperiphery of the ratchet 13, holds the platen 12 in itspositions ofadjustment during the return; or retracting movements. of the arm 15andpawl 14. The motion of the platen 12, under repeated energizing ofthe solenoid 17, is a step by step rotary movement, with thesuccessivesteps being incrementsxof constant and fixed extent.

Beneath the platen12. is a.- so-called paper pan- 19, guiding a strip 21from. the rear of the machine under and around the platen in intimaterelationship thereto, the strip passing through a writing line inthemedial. horizontalplane of the platen and extending upward andrearwardly out of themachine.

Also beneath the platen 12 are friction feed devices, including rollers22-and 23 onthe one-endsof respective. arms 24 and 25.. The arms,24 and2.5- are mountedonacommon .pivot 26- and extend in intersectingrelationzto one another in a manner to defineazscissors'like1arrangernenta Thus, a relative approaching;IHOIlOIIOfLthBiOP- posite ends. of the arms, tends .to. effect asimilar: motion; of. the-described one endsgof the arms mountingrollers; 22.;and 23, the arms being;so;arrangedthatmovement: orpressure, applied. in this; direction: is'rresolved into a.pressureofthe rollers;22.;a.nd 23.at;spaced pointsvagainst the surfaceof the platen .12.... A tensile. spring v2'7 inter-1 connects thegarms24 and-25; in:.a manner tending normally; to press; the rollers: 22 and:23 against the :platen; The strip 21; it wilLbe. understood, passes.between the TOllers,22 and '23 and. theisurface; ofrtherplatenand sotends to be heldwrelatively.tightlyto-the platenby the rollers,Theconstiuction: and arrangement. of parts de fines a friction feed;mechanism: whereby the strip 21 tends normally to advance in step bystepincrementsin accompanimentiwith. and. corresponding to themore-- ments,ofmovement. imparted to the platen.

In the; use of pro-printed record forms the' extent of, anindividual-increment of feeding movement is pre-'determined-to;correspond to the spacing between-lines of; the;form..Thus,;in' inserting'a: strip intothe machine; thefirst-writing. line; ofthe first form is placed at'thewritingline-at the platen. The first linespacing opera-- tion-will thenbringthe'second line ofthe 'form" to thewritings line; and so on throughoutalh of the' forms-of the strip. Inthe case of multi-copy strip material, wherein 'as in the presentlyillustrated instance; the'strip is made up of a plurality of superposedrecord copies and interposed carbon strips, friction feeding of thestrip tends unavoidably to produce a condition of misalignment in thesuperposed strip elements. Errors or discrepancies of this kind normallyare individually slight but may accumulate to an undesirable extent sothat matter imprinted upon one writing line of the overlying strip mayappear on a diiferent'line of an underlying copy. A compensatingadjustment of the strip material can be made by releasing the frictionfeed devices and manually readjusting the strip material to a conditionof realignment. It will be understood in this connection that provisionis made for manually releasing the friction feed devices for this andother purposes as to permit the insertion of a new strip into themachine. The instant invention, however, has in view an automatic andintermittently repeated release of the friction feed devices under stripcontrol to carry out a continuing correction in the alignment of thestrip elements to avoid accumulated error.

On the described opposite ends of the arms 24 and 25 are levers 28 and29 pivotally mounted on the respective arms at about their mid points.One end of the lever 28 is shaped as a finger and is engageable with astud 31 set in the arm 24. The lever 29 is similarly shaped at itscorresponding end and similarly engages a like stud 32 on the arm 25.The levers 28 and 29 are reversely disposed relatively to one another,the lever 28 engaging the stud 31 on the top thereof and the lever 29engaging the stud 32 on the underside thereof. Between the arms 24 and25, at their described opposite ends, is a bell crank lever 33. Onoppositely extending arms of the lever 33 are rollers 34 and 35. In theillustrated instance the roller 34 engages the lower edge of lever 28while the roller 35 engages the upper edge of lever 29. Another arm 36on the bell crank lever 33 is pivotally connected to the outer end of aplunger 37 extending from an electromagnetic device 38 and urgednormally outward by a compression spring 39.

The ends of the levers 28 and 29 adjacent to the respective rollers 34and 35 are rounded and it will be apparent that in response to a rockingmotion of the lever 33 in a counterclockwise direction, as will resultfrom an energizing of the electromagnet 38, the rollers 34 and 35 willact as cams upon the levers 28 and 29 which are prevented from rockingmovement by the pins 31 and 32. The result will be to effect a relativeseparating motion of the arms 28 and 29 and accordingly to retract therollers 22 and 23 relatively to the surface of platen 12. The frictionalpressure holding the strip 21 to the platen thus is relieved and theplaten may advance relatively to the strip should release of thefriction feed occur during a line spacing operation. The release of thefriction feed devices is but a momentary operation. As the bell cranklever 33 completes its counterclockwise movement under the influence ofelectromagnet 38, a position of the parts obtains which is substantiallythe reversal of that shown in Fig. 1. Thus roller 34 assumes a positionabove the lever 28 and the roller 35 assumes a position below lever 29.The spring 27 then is free to return the arms 24 and 25 in a relativeapproaching direction and the rollers 22 and 23 return to frictionalcontact with the strip 21 and platen surface. Upon deenergizing of theelectromagnet 38, the spring 39 extends the plunger 37, causing the bellcrank lever 33 to move in a return or clockwise direction and toreassume the illustrated position. In the course of such movement therollers 34 and 35 pass by the levers 28 and 29 which rock out of theirpaths, permitting motion of the lever 33 without a correspondingmovement of the arms 24 and 25. The levers 28 and 29 may be placed undersuitable spring control to maintain normally a position of contact withtheir respective studs 31 and 32.

The electromagnet 38 is arranged in an electrical cir- 4 cuit withsensing mechanism adapted to detect and to respond to signallingpositions on the strip, as for example positions 41 on each or selectedforms of the strip, as indicated in Fig. 5. In the illustrated instance,the signalling positions 41 are black spots and the sensing mechanism isa photo electric device which casts a beam of light upon the strip as itis advanced to the platen, the spots 41 passing through and interruptingsuch beam in a manner to effect an actuation of the electromagnet 38. Asshown in Fig. 6, a lamp 42 is connected in a line 43 extending betweenthe conductors L1 and L-2 of an electrical supply system. An eye orlight sensitive switch 44 along with the coil of electromagnet 38 arearranged in series in another line 45 extending between the conductorsL-l and L2. The lamp 42 is arranged to cast a beam of light upon thepassing strip 21 and the eye 44 is arranged to receive the reflection ofsuch beam from the strip. Under the influence of such applied light, theeye 44 maintains the line 45 normally open and the coil ofelectromagnetic relay 38 is thus normally deenergized. The point atwhich the light beam from lamp 44 strikes the strip 21 may forconvenience be indicated at 46. As the advancement of the strip brings aspot 41 thereon to the point 46, the reflection of the light beam to theeye 44 is interrupted and the switch of which the eye is essentiallycomprised closes to close a circuit through the coil of relay 38. Asindicated, the latter when energized actuates the bell crank lever 33,resulting in a momentary release of the friction feed devices in themanner before described. Should the strip 21 stop with a spot 41 in theposition 46 the electromagnet 38 will remain energized but there will bepermitted but a single action movement of the feed devices since thebell crank lever 33 will remain in its counterclockwise extreme positionwherein, as before described, the arms 24 and 25 are free to return inan approaching direction under the influence of spring 27. Continuedmovement of the strip causes the spot 41 to pass out of the point 46 andreflection of the light beam upon the eye 44 is reestablished. Theelectromagnet 38 accordingly is deenergized and the bell crank lever 33returns to its illustrated position, camming the levers 28 and 29' outof its path as it does so.

The spot 41 on each record form is located in predetermined spacedrelation to an opening in the strip formed by registering perforationsin each of the superposed strip elements. There may be used as theselected opening an opening 47 which is one of a series of marginalperforations appearing in strips adapted for positive pin feedingoperations. Also, a file opening 48 conventionally found in record formsmay be used, or the spot 41 may be placed in predetermined relation to aspecially formed opening in the strip.

There will normally be a pair of openings 47 or 48 laterally spacedapart in the strip and adapted to receive an aligning pin 49 (one shown)mounted in laterally spaced apart housings 51 and 52 on the carriageframe. The housing 51 comprises a body 52' having a through longitudinalslot 53 opening through one side thereof and adapted to receive and toguide the strip 21 prior to its reaching the under side of the platen12. A bore 54 extends through the body 52' in transverse relation to theslot 53 and has a bushing 55 installed therein in which is reciprocablymounted the pin 49. One end of the pin 49 is tapered for better entranceinto the strip opening. The other end of the pin projects above the body52' and has a pin in slot connection with an arm 56 secured to a crossshaft 57 in part supported by a bracket 58 resting on the body 52. Acover member 59 encloses the outer projecting end of pin 49, the arm 56and bracket 58. On the underside of the body 52' is another cover member61 enclosing an opening 62 in the body and mounting the lamp 42 and eye44 of the photo electric device. The lamp is arranged, as beforeindicated, to cast a beam 'of light through the opening 62 upon thestrip- 21 whence it isxrefiected upon the eye-44L The housing 52 isidentical in construction-to the unit 51 except for omissionof'thephoto-clectricsensing device: The-shaft 57"is commonto theunits so thata rotary actuation of the shaft is effective simultaneously to operatethe pins 49-of both units. At-its-one end,

the shaft 57 extends through and beyond the'unit- 51' and has amountingina bracket 63 on the-slideway 73'. An arm 64 has one end thereofsecured to theshaft 57 near the-v bracket 63. On" the other end thereofis a roller- 65- engageable= witha lever 66 constructed like the.aforementioned levers 28" andi29-and'mounted' in a like manner uponan-extension 6'7 0f the-plunger 68 of an electromagnet 69; Thus,-aretracting motion of the plunger-68 in-response to energizing of theelectromagnet 69=results in a pulling down-of theextension 67, and sincethe lever 66 cannot rockin-acounterclockwise direction results also in adownward rocking motion of the arm 64"imparting a counterclockwisearcuate movement to the shaftr57i In;response-.thereto the pins 49 aremoved-axially inward within the..b.ores 54. The-lever 66'. passes .bythe roller 65 as the plunger 68 completes itsretracting motion and thearmv64..is,at once-restored to its upper position, as illustrated, by aspring 71. Motion of arm 64 under influence of spring 71 is, however,limited by stop 63. The actuation of the pins 49 accordingly is amomentary action in which the pins are depressed to penetrate the stripand then immediately are withdrawn therefrom.

The electromagnet 69, as shown in Fig. 6, is in a line 72 extending fromthe line 45 to the conductor L-2. It is, accordingly, in parallelrelation with the electromagnet 38 and is energized and deenergized incorrespondence therewith. According to the construction and arrangementof parts, therefore, the arrival of a black spot 41 at the position 46results in a concomitant interruption of the strip feeding action anddepression of the pins 49. The interruption in feeding is but momentaryand the strip may continue its advance about the platen, with the stripelements now realigned by virtue of the aligning action of the pins 49.In this regard it will be understood that the pins 49 tend to readjustin a forwardly or rearwardly direction any of the elements of the stripwhich may be out of registry with the upper or topmost copy. Since theholding pressure upon the strips applied by the rollers 22 and 23 isreleased at the time of entrance of the aligning pins, the stripelements are free to make such readjustment and upon reapplication ofthe friction pressure the strip elements are held in their realignedposition.

The units 51 and 52 have a common mounting in a transversely extendingslideway 73, the lower part of the body 52 having flanges slidablyreceived in turned over portions of the slideway 73. Adjustment screws74 and 75 extend through the overlapping positions of the body 52 andslideway 73 and hold the respective units 51 and 52 in a selectedposition of lateral adjustment. The units 51 and 52 are adjustedlaterally properly to receive and guide the strip 21 and to locate theselected opening 47 or 48 with respect to the bore 54 in which the pin49 reciprocates, and to locate the black spot 41 in a lateral sense withrespect to the photo electric beam.

The mechanism may be adapted for strips of greater or smaller width byloosening the screws 74 and 75, adjusting the units 51 and 52 laterallyas may be desired and then retightening the screws 74 and 75. Alongitudinal adjustment of the units 51 and 52 is provided for in orderthat the photo electric devices may be adjusted in a longitudinal senseto sense the black spot 41 at the same moment the selected strip openingachieves registry with the bore 54. p

Thus the slideway 73 is supported on a bearing plate 75' made fast to abracket 76 rigidly mounted on the carriage frame 10. On the underside ofthe slideway 73 is a: longitudinal rack 77 extendingthrough registeringopenings in the plate 75 and bracket 76 and 'meshing with a pinion78onacross shaft 79. Theishaft 79'is rotatably mounted atitsgends i11 sideportions of the carriage frame l'tr-and has-secured -thereto'a -knob'81;The knob 81' is manually accessible for rotation and such rotarymotion-is eifective through the shaft 79; pinion 78and rack 77to moveboth unit's-51 and 52' simultaneously in a longitudinal sense relativelyto the-strip,

From the above description itwill be apparent that there is thusprovided a device-of thecharacter described possessing theparticular-features of advantage-before,

enumerated as desirable, bu t which obviouslyis susceptible ofmodification inits form, proportions, detail construction-andarrangement of parts-without departing from the principle involvedorsacrificing'any of its advantages.

While inorder to comply withthe statute theinven tion has been.describedinglanguage moreor less-specific as:to structuralfeatures,it-is-tobe understood that the invention is. not limited to -thespecific features shown, but that themeansand-* construction herein.disclosed comprise but one of several modes of putting the inventioninto effect, and the-inventionds therefore claimedin any of its forms ormodifications within-the legitimate and vali'd scope of theappendedclaimsr Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. Strip feeding apparatus, including a platen, friction feed devicesnormally effective to hold multi-copy strip material against said platenfor feeding thereof with rotation of said platen, strip controlled meansfor momentarily releasing said friction feed devices at intervals in thefeeding of said strip, and means for realigning the copies of said stripin said intervals.

2. Strip feeding apparatus, including a platen, friction feed devices, astrip assembly comprising multiple superposed strip elements beingpressed by said devices against said platen for feeding of said stripassembly with rotation of said platen, and means reciprocable understrip control intermittently operable to realign the elements of saidstrip assembly.

3. Strip feeding apparatus, including means for feeding a strip assemblycomprising superposed strip elements, each of said strip elements havinga perforation normally registering with the corresponding perforationsof the other elements of the strip assembly whereby to define an openingin said strip assembly, a relatively stationary pin arranged forentering and withdrawing movements relatively to said opening, and stripcontrolled means operating to effect such movements of said pin as saidopening is brought to alignment therewith.

4. Strip feeding apparatus, including means for feeding a strip assemblycomprising superposed strip elements, each of said elements having aperforation normally registering with the corresponding perforation ofthe other elements of the strip assembly to define an opening therein,said means including friction feed devices, a pin arranged selectivelyto enter said opening, and strip controlled means operable concomitantlyto release said friction feed devices momentarily and in such moment tocause said pin to enter in and to withdraw from said opening.

5. Strip feeding apparatus, including a platen, means comprisingreleasable friction feed devices for advancing strip material over saidplaten, said strip being formed with an opening and a signallingposition, a pin adapted to enter said opening, and means scanning thestrip momentarily releasing said friction feed devices and effecting anentering and withdrawing movement of said pin relatively to said openingunder the control of said signalling position.

6. Strip feeding apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in thatsaid opening and said signalling position are in such predeterminedspaced relation that upon arrival of said signalling position at a pointto be scanned by said last named means said opening is imposition toreceive said pin. 3 l

7. In a typewriting or like machine, a rotatable platen,

friction feed devices for. advancing a strip of series con-' nectedsuperposed record forms over said platen in response to rotationthereof, the strip being formed with through openings in selectedsets ofsaid forms, a pin reciprocable to enter and withdraw from said openingswhen aligned therewith, means for interrupting the feeding of said stripupon arrival of each successive opening in line wtih said pin, and meansfor reciprocating said pin into and out of said openings concomitantlywith interruption of feed of the strip.

8. In a typewriting or like machine, a rotatable platen, friction feeddevices for advancing superposed record strip material over said platen,the strip being formed with longitudinally spaced apart openings andlongitudinally spaced apart signalling positions in predetermined spacedrelation to said opening, a reciprocable pin, said strip advancingrelatively to said pin to bring said openings successively into positionto receive said pin upon reciprocation thereof, means for sensing saidsignalling positions, and means for reciprocating said pin upon thesensing of a signalling position. l

9. A typewriting or like machine according to claim 8,

characterized by other means responsive to the sensing of a signallingposition for momentarily interrupting the feed of the strip.

. 10. In a typewriting or like machine, a carriage frame, a rotatableplaten in said frame, friction feed devices holding record stripmaterial to said platen for advance thereof with rotation of the platen,said strip being formed With longitudinally spaced apart openings andwith longitudinally spaced apart signalling positions, a pin mounted onsaid frame for reciprocable movement into and out of an aligned openingin the strip, and a sensing mechanism on said frame and operating inresponse to the sensing of a signalling position to reciprocate said pinand momentarily to release said friction feed devices.

11. A typewriting or like machine according to claim 10, wherein saidpin and said sensing mechanism are comprised in a single unit mounted onsaid frame for adjustment relative thereto.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS JensenOct. 11, 1932 Antrim Jan. 5, 1943 Sherman Feb. 23, 1943

